Autonomous alerting based on defined categorizations for network space and network boundary changes

ABSTRACT

Introduced here are Internet monitoring platforms configured to define, monitor, and assess the boundary of a private network associated with a client. By monitoring the entire Internet, a private network, and relationships between these networks, an Internet monitoring platform can discover changes in the boundary of the private network that is defined by those assets on the private network capable of interfacing with a public network, such as the Internet. The Internet monitoring platform may, in response to discovering the boundary of the private network has experienced a change, identify an appropriate remediation action by mapping the change to a technological issue, a relevant business relationship, etc. For example. If the Internet monitoring platform discovers that the boundary of the private network has expanded due to the introduction of a new cloud computing asset, the Internet monitoring platform may automatically reconfigure a network tool so that traffic generated by the new computing device is examined.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.62/610,346, titled “Autonomous Alerting System for Network MonitoringBased on Technically-Defined Categorizations for Network Space andNetwork Boundary Change” and filed on Dec. 26, 2017, which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments concern technologies related to network security.More particularly, various embodiments concern an autonomous systemcapable of monitoring a network based on technically-definedcategorizations for network space and network boundary changes, and thengenerating an alert responsive to determining that a certain conditionhas been met.

BACKGROUND

A computer network (also referred to as a “data network” or “network”)is a digital telecommunications network that allows nodes to shareresources. In a network, computing devices exchange data with oneanother via connections (also referred to as “data links”). These datalinks may be established over cable media, such as copper wires or fiberoptic cables, or wireless media, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth®communication channels.

Modern networks include a variety of complex technologies that thatgovern how multiple technological systems are connected to one another,and thus work together. This is very different from the beginning of theInternet when computer networks were much simpler. In those days,companies generally housed their connected digital assets (or simply“assets”) on statically allocated ranges of Internet Protocol (IP)addresses. Several different factors contributed to make historicalnetworks somewhat static in nature. For example, in the past, computingdevices were not portable and, therefore, did not transfer betweendifferent networks. Moreover, sensitive computing devices (e.g., paymentsystems and storage systems) were typically housed onsite oncompany-owned infrastructure, merger and acquisition activity was slowerand less frequent, and vendor relationships were less complicated.

Today, the picture is very different for organizations. Whereaspreviously organizations' networks could be defined by a relativelysmall number of devices in generally fixed, known locations, processingspecific data, today their networks have expanded dramatically in termsof the number of devices, number of device types, and relationshipsbetween those devices and the business itself. Computing devices can bereadily taken outside of private networks (e.g., enterprise networks)and connected to public networks (e.g., the Internet). Sensitive data isoften stored in network-accessible environments (also referred to as“cloud environments”) rather than on company-owned infrastructure. Thisis particularly true for web hosting. These cloud environments can bedesigned for a single tenant or multiple tenants, which can make itdifficult for a company to know where their assets reside and how toprotect their assets at any given time. Companies themselves have alsochanged. Services are more frequently farmed out to vendors (therebyresulting in more complex supply chains), merger and acquisitionactivity has dramatically increased, offices are distributed across abroader geographic area, and there are a greater number of complexsubsidiary, affiliate, and subnet relationships than in the past.

All of these changes affect how a company can legally secure its localnetwork (also referred to as an “internal network”), and even know thefull extent of its internal network. While certain people andorganizations within an organization may in principle have knowledge ofindividual segments of the organization's internal network, centrallyaggregating that knowledge to provide a complete, current, and accurateview of the entire internal network of the organization is a dauntingsystems and data integration challenge that few large organizations havesuccessfully undertaken. This is made ever more difficult bydecentralized decision making that may lead to new segments being addedto the internal network without proper notification of centralinformation technology (IT) authorities nor registration inauthoritative central IT tracking systems used by the organization.Systems on these newly created segments are on the one hand assets ofthe organizations, and on the other hand are unknown to the central ITstaffs of the organization. Thus, any changes to these new segments,including changes which introduce substantial risk and/or do not complywith existing IT and IT security policies, will go unnoticed by centralIT staffs using standard tools and capabilities, which puts theorganization at substantial risk.

SUMMARY

Introduced here are Internet monitoring platforms configured to define,monitor, and assess the boundary of a private network associated with aclient. By monitoring the public Internet, a private network (alsoreferred to as a “local network” or an “internal network”), and therelationships between these two networks, an Internet monitoringplatform can discover changes in the boundary of a private network thatis defined by those assets capable of interfacing with a public network,such as the Internet. The Internet monitoring platform may, in responseto discovering the boundary of a private network has experienced achange, identify an appropriate remediation action by mapping the changeto a technological issue, a relevant business relationship, etc. Forexample. If the Internet monitoring platform discovers that the boundaryof the private network has expanded due to the introduction of a newcloud computing asset, the Internet monitoring platform mayautomatically reconfigure a network tool so that traffic generated bythe new computing device is examined.

When examining the newly-changed boundary of the private network, theInternet monitoring platform can watch for various scenarios thatcorrespond with an increased likelihood that a security threat exists.For example, if a new device capable of connecting to the Internet isdiscovered to have been added to the private network, the Internetmonitoring platform can take appropriate remediation action(s) toaddress the increased risk posed by the new device. In such embodiments,the Internet monitoring platform may reconfigure any network toolsdeployed on the private network to ensure that traffic originating from,or directed to, the new device is examined by these network tool(s). Asanother example, if a communication policy governing how an existingdevice can communicate over the Internet is modified, the Internetmonitoring platform can monitor traffic originating from, or directedto, the existing device to ensure it conforms with the modifiedcommunication policy.

Critically, the Internet monitoring platforms described herein are ableto autonomously discover and alert to changes that are frequent inmodern private networks, but which existing technologies and solutionsare unable to detect. For example, if an employee of an organizationtakes a purchasing card and creates their own cloud account—distinctfrom an existing organization account with a cloud provider—then anynetwork monitoring tools which only examine known cloud accounts for theorganization will be blind to any changes this employee makes in the newcloud account they created. Using an Internet monitoring platform, thedetection of the newly created cloud computing asset can be accomplishedby continuously examining the public Internet for changes that can berelated back to an organization, and when those changes are detected,automatically updating the platform's database of the correspondingorganization's private network as well.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various features of the technology will become more apparent to thoseskilled in the art from a study of the Detailed Description inconjunction with the drawings. Embodiments of the technology areillustrated by way of example and not limitation in the drawings, inwhich like references may indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a network arrangement in which multiplecomputing devices (also referred to as “nodes”) communicate via anetwork.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the boundary of a private network associated witha client may change over time.

FIG. 3 includes a generalized illustration of a process for discoveringchanges to the boundary of a network (e.g., a private network associatedwith a client).

FIG. 4 includes a flow diagram of a process for autonomously addressingthe security risks posed by boundary change events.

FIG. 5 provides an example matrix of technological categorizations andbusiness relationship categorizations.

FIG. 6 includes a conceptual matrix corresponding to the example matrixshown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 includes a generalized illustration of a closed embodiment of anInternet monitoring platform.

FIG. 8 includes a flow diagram of a process for discovering the openports on a computer network.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing systemin which at least some operations described herein can be implemented.

The drawings depict various embodiments for the purpose of illustration.Those skilled in the art will recognize that alternative embodiments maybe employed without departing from the principles of the technology.Accordingly, while specific embodiments are shown in the drawings, thetechnology is amenable to various modifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Conventional network tools suffer from several limitations that affecttheir ability to promptly and properly account for changes to a network.First, the vast majority of conventional network tools require that alist of assets on the network be manually provided as input. Becauseconventional network tools cannot discover these assets on their own,they cannot autonomously generate asset lists. At present, theoverwhelming practice is to periodically feed static asset lists to anetwork tool, generally in the form of a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet.However, these asset lists are often wildly inaccurate because networksconsistently change over time and the business units involved insecurity (e.g., vulnerability management, networking, securityoperations, etc.) tend to maintain separate asset lists that rarelymatch one another. Consequently, a common operating understanding israrely available for assets, policies, or processes for discoveringchanges to a network.

Second, conventional network tools are prone to errors due to latencyand inaccurate input. While a static asset list may have sufficedseveral years ago, networks now change so frequently now that it is nolonger tenable to maintain an accurate asset list without remapping on aperiodic basis (e.g., monthly, weekly, or daily).

Third, some conventional network tools are too intensive to be legallyapplied to certain parts of a network. For instance, a network tool maybe designed to operate only on network space that a company definitelyowns (e.g., those Internet Protocol (IP) addresses registered directlyto the company). Operating these tools on assets that a company managesbut does not own—such as cloud computing assets—may violate the terms ofuse for the tool and in certain cases can also violate United States law(and those of other jurisdictions, such as the European Union).Furthermore, some network tools require nuanced configurations tosuccessfully conform to certain business relationships. For example, anisolated subnet may be designed to allow certain types of trafficthrough that would not normally be allowed on the rest of the network.As another example, a network may include a core network associated witha company and subnet(s) associated with affiliated entities who are notsubsidiary entities of the company. An example of an affiliated entityis a vendor.

Special configurations of network tools may be needed to meet thesecurity challenges posed by modern networks. In particular, the properuse of a given tool will depend on the context and type of network it isoperating in, in addition to the business relationship the organizationwhich is operating the tool has with the ultimate owner and operator ofthe network the tool is operating over. Examples of network toolsinclude firewalls, vulnerability scanners, intrusion detection systems(IDSs), intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), penetration tests, endpointsecurity mechanisms, network performance monitors, and software-definednetworking (SDN) orchestration mechanisms. To properly identify securityrisks to a network, the network tool(s) associated with the network mustbe configured to observe the right things (e.g., the assets that thecompany has a legal right to monitor intensively). Those skilled in theart will recognize that network tools may be configured differently whendeployed on different parts of a network to meet certain businessobjectives. For example, traffic originating from a website accessibleon the Internet may be permitted to reach a first subnet but not asecond subnet.

To account for the subtle-but-consistent changes experienced by modernnetworks, however, configurations of network tools must be updated toreflect proper operation on the correct and current state of the networkthey are operating on. Introduced here, therefore, are Internetmonitoring platforms configured to define, monitor, and assess theboundary of a private network associated with a client (also referred toas an “organization,” “enterprise,” or “customer”). By monitoring aprivate network (also referred to as a “local network” or an “internalnetwork”), the entire public Internet, and the relationship between thetwo, an Internet monitoring platform can discover changes in theboundary that is defined by those assets capable of interfacing with apublic network, such as the Internet. The Internet monitoring platformmay, in response to discovering the boundary has experienced a change,identify an appropriate remediation action by mapping the change to atechnological issue, a relevant business relationship, etc. For example.If the Internet monitoring platform discovers that the boundary of theprivate network has expanded due to the introduction of a new cloudcomputing device, the Internet monitoring platform may automaticallyreconfigure a network tool so that traffic sent from that device toother parts of the network is not blocked.

Terminology

References in this description to “an embodiment” or “one embodiment”means that the feature, function, structure, or characteristic beingdescribed is included in at least one embodiment. Occurrences of suchphrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor do theynecessarily refer to alternative embodiments that are mutually exclusiveof one another.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the words “comprise” and“comprising” are to be construed in an inclusive sense rather than anexclusive or exhaustive sense (i.e., in the sense of “including but notlimited to”). The terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereofis intended to include any connection or coupling between two or moreelements, either direct or indirect. The coupling/connection can bephysical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, devices may beelectrically or communicatively coupled to one another despite notsharing a physical connection.

The term “module” refers broadly to software components, hardwarecomponents, and/or firmware components. Modules are typically functionalcomponents that can generate useful data or other output(s) based onspecified input(s). A module may be self-contained. A computer programmay include one or more modules. Thus, a computer program may includemultiple modules responsible for completing different tasks or a singlemodule responsible for completing multiple tasks.

When used in reference to a list of multiple items, the word “or” isintended to cover all of the following interpretations: any of the itemsin the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of itemsin the list.

The sequences of steps performed in any of the processes describedherein are exemplary. However, unless contrary to physical possibility,the steps may be performed in various sequences and combinations. Forexample, steps could be added to, or removed from, the processesdescribed here. Similarly, steps could be replaced or reordered. Thus,descriptions of any processes are intended to be open-ended.

Definitions for several terms are provided below for reference:

-   Device: Any piece of equipment, either physical or digital, that is    connected to a network (e.g., a private network or a public network,    such as the Internet) via a port, regardless of whether the    connection is intentional or unintentional.-   Domains: Inclusive of all Domain Name Servers (DNS) record types,    domains, zone transfer files, WHOIS registration information, and    fully qualified domain names (FQDNs), both present and historical.-   Registration Information (IP Addresses): Any registration    information associated with an IP address or range of IP addresses,    including but not limited to regional Internet registry (RIR)    records, third-party aggregator records, content delivery network    (CDN) records, Internet service provider (ISP) records, and    privately aggregated information such as Managed Security Service    Provider (MSSP) documentation.-   Registration Information (Domains): Any authoritative or    unauthoritative registration information associated with any domain,    including WHOIS information (both current and historical) as well as    other association information for other sources.-   Deprecated Assets: Any asset previously associated with a client    that upon remapping is found to no longer be associated with the    client via a proprietary network mapping process.-   Affiliate: An entity for which a client may have a fiduciary    responsibility or a business interest but not a full set of legal    rights, obligations, or motivations to secure it as a normal    subsidiary. Examples of affiliates include joint ventures, vendors,    supply chain relationships, etc.-   Client of Client: An entity with which a client does business. One    example is an entity for which the client provides goods and/or    services.-   Vendor of Vendor: Any vendor related to the vendor of a client by a    business relationship. One example is a related vendor that is at    least two degrees removed from the client.-   Control Action: Any action undertaken by autonomous machine means or    human action that remotely controls a policy, system, configuration,    or function of an Internet monitoring platform, orchestration    automation platform, network tool, or human process. These actions    may be defined by the client or the Internet monitoring platform,    which may be responsible for identifying, assessing, and monitoring    vulnerability of a private network to security threats.-   Business Relationship: Any business relationship defined by a client    or an Internet monitoring platform.-   Network Boundary: Any collection of IP addresses which are public    routable on the Internet—for example, IPv4 addresses which are not    reserved under RFC 1918—but which also belong to, are controlled or    managed by, or are associated with a private network associated with    a client. For example, these could include but are not limited to    statically allocated IPs which the organization owns and manages,    IPs of cloud computing servers hosting IT systems controlled by the    organization, and IPs of gateway devices through which corporate    assets send network communications to the public Internet—such as    the public Internet IP of a Wi-Fi router that a laptop computer    belonging to the organization is connected to. In some embodiments    the network boundary is defined by a client, while in other    embodiments the network boundary is automatically discovered by an    Internet monitoring platform.-   Boundary Change: Any change to an asset that affects the network    boundary of a private network associated with a client. A boundary    change may also be referred to as a “network change.”    Description of Selected Embodiments

A network allows computing devices to share resources. FIG. 1 depicts anexample of a network arrangement 100 in which multiple computing devices(also referred to as “nodes”) communicate via a network 108. The nodescouple an originating device 102 (e.g., a desktop computer) to arecipient device 106 (e.g., a computer server). Thus, the nodes allowdata packets to be transmitted between the originating device 102 andthe recipient device 106. Examples of nodes include switches (e.g.,switches 104 a, 104 d), routers (e.g., routers 104 b, 104 c), etc. Eachnode represents a possible entry point into the network 108. The entrypoints could be, and often are, from different points within the network108.

Oftentimes, a communication will traverse multiple networks as ittravels from the originating device 102 to the recipient device 106. Forexample, if the originating device 102 resides within a private networkassociated with a client, then the communication must leave the privatenetwork and then enter another network (e.g., the Internet) to which therecipient device 108 is connected.

The ability to communicate across vast distances via networks hasfacilitated significant changes in everyday life. For example, computingdevices located in different countries can readily communicate with oneanother to conduct a business transaction. However, theinterconnectivity facilitated by networks can also be used maliciously,and the ease of communicating via these networks can make it difficultto identify unauthorized activities performed by bad actors.

One technique for managing the threat posed by malicious actors involvesactively monitoring the boundaries of a network. This technique may bereferred to as “boundary monitoring” or “perimeter monitoring.”Traditional boundary monitoring techniques treat the boundary as largelystatic, with updates occurring infrequently and usually requiring manualupdating of the monitoring system's representation of what and where thenetwork boundary was located. As further described below, upondiscovering the boundary of the network has changed in some manner, anInternet monitoring platform can take appropriate action(s) to addressthe change. For example, the Internet monitoring platform mayautonomously reconfigure a network tool to account for the addition of anew public-facing IP address, the removal of an existing public-facingIP address, etc.

FIG. 2 illustrates how the boundary of a private network associated witha client may change over time. Here, for example, the boundary hasincreased in size between a first point in time (i.e., t₀) and a secondpoint in time (i.e., t₁). An increase in the boundary will oftencorrespond to an increase in the number of outward-facing IP addressesassociated with the client, or a change to the services running on thatpublic IP address. For example, if a client is involved in a merger, theprivate network associated with the client may be redefined as a newprivate network. In such a scenario, multiple existing private networks(e.g., Network A and Network B belonging to Client A and Client B,respectively) may be dynamically redefined as a new private network(e.g., Network C belonging to Clients A and B). Similarly, if a clientestablishes a new business relationship with an affiliate, multipleexisting private networks (e.g., Network A and Network B belonging toClient A and the affiliate, respectively) may be dynamically redefinedas a new private network (e.g., Network C belonging to Client A and theaffiliate). Note, however, that the client and affiliate may havelimited access to portions of the new private network (e.g., theaffiliate may not be permitted to access some information related to theclient, technical restrictions may be placed on the tools the client canrun to probe the affiliate network, and vice versa).

By monitoring boundary changes, an Internet monitoring platform canidentify locations that may be susceptible to unauthorized access, aswell as appropriate remediation action(s) for ensuring that a breachdoes not occur. For example, an Internet monitoring platform may remap anetwork tool configuration in real time responsive to discovering thebounds of a private network have changed. Thus, a network tool designedto monitor traffic entering, exiting, or traversing the private networkmay be reconfigured to account for the new boundary. This process may berepeated ad infinitum to address security risks before the privatenetwork is impacted.

FIG. 3 includes a generalized illustration of a process for discoveringchanges to the boundary of a network (e.g., a private network associatedwith a client). Initially, an Internet monitoring platform can identifythe network and discover the boundary of the network. For example, theInternet monitoring platform may examine communications originating fromwithin the network to identify the public-facing devices responsible fortransmitting the communications. As another example, the Internetmonitoring platform may transmit signal(s) to a device that resideswithin the network and then determine, based on whether response(s) havebeen returned, if the device forms part of the boundary. Thereafter, theInternet monitoring platform can monitor the boundary of the network.Such action may be performed continually or periodically. For example,in some embodiments, the Internet monitoring platform examines theboundary of the network on a monthly, weekly, daily, or hourly basis.

In some instances, the Internet monitoring platform will discover that aboundary change event has occurred by monitoring the Internet, not justthe extant private network, for the presence of new devices on theInternet which appear to be affiliated with a client, but which were notpreviously part of the network boundary of the client. A boundary changeevent is any detectable change to the characteristics of an asset orgroup of assets that comprise the boundary of a network. Example ofboundary change events include the instantiation of a new device capableof connecting to the Internet, the removal of an existing device capableof connecting to the Internet, and the modification of a communicationpolicy that governs how an existing device can communicate over theInternet, the creating of a new cloud resource by a client that ispublicly accessible on the Internet. As shown in FIG. 3, the boundarychange event alters the boundary of the network. Here, for example, theboundary change event has introduced another entry point into thenetwork that is susceptible to unauthorized access.

The Internet monitoring platform can then address the boundary changeevent. In some embodiments, the Internet monitoring platform performs anappropriate remediation action based on the boundary change event. Theappropriate remediation action may include rolling back the boundarychange event, initiating some best practice policy or standard operatingprocedure, involving another platform or tool, etc. In otherembodiments, the Internet monitoring platform generates an alert thatdescribes the boundary change event. The particular remediation actiondepends on the nature of the network change, the existing tools theInternet monitoring platform has access to, and the allowable policiesfor those tools on different kinds of networks. For example, if theInternet monitoring platform has administrative access to certainfirewalls across an organization's network boundary, and theorganization has a policy that only traffic from identified corporatedevices be allowed through a firewall, then upon detecting a boundarychange, say a new organization cloud asset at IP 1.2.3.4 is created, theInternet monitoring platform could automatically configure the firewallsto allow traffic to and from 1.2.3.4. Importantly, this change does notrequire that the Internet monitoring platform have any privileged accessto 1.2.3.4, or even that the cloud environment 1.2.3.4 is part of alsobe operated by any system controlled by the Internet monitoringplatform. In other cases, the Internet monitoring platform may transmita boundary change alert to a special administrator who is responsiblefor addressing security risks to the network. For example, the specialadministrator may be responsible for correctly configuring network toolsdesigned to identify, assess, and address threats to the network. TheInternet monitoring platform may determine which of these actions toperform based on the nature of the boundary change event itself. In someinstances, the Internet monitoring platform may perform both actions.For example, the Internet monitoring platform may notify the specialadministrator that which remediation action(s) have been autonomouslyperformed on behalf of the client to address the risk posed by theboundary change event.

FIG. 4 includes a flow diagram of a process 400 for autonomouslyaddressing the security risks posed by boundary change events.Initially, an Internet monitoring platform can discover the assetsassociated with a client and then map the discovered assets to a networkto establish a boundary (step 401). Such action can be performedcontinuously or periodically. To discover the assets associated with aclient, the Internet monitoring platform may employ a variety oftechniques, including:

-   -   Mapping client entities' ranges of IP addresses via analysis of        current or historical registration information in RIRs that        appear to be registered to the client or a related entity (e.g.,        a subsidiary or an affiliate).    -   Mapping client entities' ranges of IP addresses via analysis of        Autonomous System Number (ASN) information or net handles that        appear to be associated with the client or a related entity        (e.g., a subsidiary or an affiliate).    -   Mapping client entities' domain names via analysis of web        service hostnames that appear to be associated with the client        through certificates, domain name records, or domain name        registration information.    -   Detection of abrupt but sustained changes in rates of traffic        flow between a known set of IP addresses (also referred to as a        “core IP space”) and other Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR)        blocks on the Internet.    -   Detection of rare user agent strings, which may indicate common        software configuration management and/or golden computer images        in different CIDR blocks.

Additional information on these techniques can be found in U.S.application Ser. No. 15/984,030 titled “Correlation-Driven ThreatAssessment and Remediation,” which is incorporated by reference hereinin its entirety.

Thereafter, the Internet monitoring platform can categorize the assetsaccording to technologically-defined categorizations (step 402). Saidanother way, the Internet monitoring platform can categorize the assetsbased on the technological characteristic(s) of each asset. For example,the Internet monitoring platform may determine whether each assetcorresponds to:

-   -   A range of IP addresses directly registered to the client's        primary business entity or subsidiary business entities, if any.    -   A range of IP addresses registered to an MSSP on behalf of the        client (e.g., “<Customer> C/O IBM”).    -   A range of IP addresses registered to a provider of cloud-based        hosting services, such as Akamai or Rackspace, who is        responsible for running a service on behalf of the client.    -   A range of IP addresses owned by a hosting provider into which a        DNS record for a domain owned by the client resolves.

The Internet monitoring platform can then map thetechnologically-defined categorizations to a set of businessrelationship categories (step 403). These business relationshipcategories may be defined by the client, the Internet monitoringplatform, or any combination thereof. Examples of business relationshipcategories include parent network, subsidiary network, multi-tenantcloud environment, CDN, vendor, Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS),Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), etc. Associating each asset with abusiness relationship category allows the Internet monitoring platformto gain a better understanding of who is responsible for managing eachasset, the appropriate permissions) for each asset, the relationshipbetween pairs of assets, etc.

The Internet monitoring platform may also be configured to autonomouslyreact to changes in the network following a boundary change event,including a change to either a technological category or a businessrelationship category. For example, the Internet monitoring platform mayautomatically address changes to registration information correspondingto IP addresses mapped to the client, detectable assets connected to theInternet across range(s) of IP addresses mapped to the client, trafficflows or flow volume between CIDR ranges, DNS/WHOIS informationcorresponding to a domain associated with the client, etc. Similarly,the Internet platform may automatically address modifications caused byan acquisition, merger, or divestiture, the introduction of a newlyregistered domain, the expiration of a certificate corresponding to aknown asset, etc.

In some embodiments, the Internet monitoring platform is configured toautonomously control and/or monitor at least one technological systemassociated with the client (step 404). For example, the Internetmonitoring platform may remotely execute actions against relevantnetwork tools, processes, devices, etc., such that these items arereconfigured to properly account for the modified network spaceresulting from network boundary changes. The process 400 may becontinually or periodically repeated to ensure that networkmodifications caused by network boundary changes can be addressed beforea breach occurs.

FIG. 5 provides an example matrix of technological categorizations andbusiness relationship categorizations. The horizontal axis denotes thetechnological categorizations that the Internet monitoring platformmight associate with a client, such as the IP addressesregistered/attributed to the client, devices registered/attributed tothe client, certificates directly issued/attributed to the client, etc.The vertical axis denotes the business relationship categorizations thatthe Internet monitoring platform might associate with a client, such asa core network, a subsidiary network, a cloud environment,vendor-managed assets, etc. Together, these categorizations may governwhat action(s) the Internet monitoring platform can take with respect toan asset. For example, if the Internet monitoring platform discovers aboundary change event involves an IP address associated with the corenetwork, then the Internet monitoring platform may affect a networkcontrol action to monitor the IP address or contact a point of contact(POC), such as a special administrator, who can monitor the IP address.Conversely, if the Internet monitoring platform discovers the boundarychange event involves an IP address associated with an affiliatenetwork, then the Internet monitoring platform may be limited tocontacting the POC who can monitor the IP address.

In FIG. 5, the column that pertains to registration information for IPaddresses may involve either contacting the RIR directly or contactingthe POC who is responsible for managing the IP addresses (and they, inturn, may contact the RIR). Similarly, the column that pertains toregistration information for domains may involve either contacting thedomain registry directly or contacting the POC who is responsible formanaging domains (and they, in turn, may contact the domain registry).If a domain is managed/owned by an entity other than the client, thenthe Internet monitoring platform can contact the other entity. The term“contact,” as used herein, includes calling, emailing, filing a ticket(e.g., a customer support ticket), sending an instant message,generating a notification, identifying influence via workflow orcommunications, etc.

FIG. 6 includes a conceptual matrix corresponding to the example matrixshown in FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 6, an Internet monitoring platform maytake different actions based on which technological category andbusiness relationship category an asset is associated with. While theconceptual matrix shown here includes a different action in eachquadrant, that need not necessarily be the case. For instance, differentcombinations of categories (e.g., Technological Category A and BusinessCategory A, Technological Category B and Business Category A) may beassociated with the same action.

FIG. 7 includes a generalized illustration of a closed embodiment of anInternet monitoring platform. Initially, the Internet monitoringplatform can acquire data regarding a private network associated with aclient from at least one source on a continuous basis. In someembodiments the data may be pulled from each source by the Internetmonitoring platform, while in other embodiments the data may be pushedto the Internet monitoring platform by each source. Examples of datainclude client data (e.g., private network data), third-party data, andsensing data generated by an Internet sensing platform as described inU.S. application Ser. No. 15/984,030, which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety. Sensing data may include information on devices,services, ports, certificates, DNS records, etc., that are associatedwith the client and are observed by the Internet sensing platform on theglobal Internet. The Internet sensing platform may be communicativelycoupled to the Internet monitoring platform. For example, the Internetsensing platform and the Internet monitoring platform may reside on anetwork-accessible server system comprised of one or more computerservers.

Thereafter, the Internet monitoring platform can map the boundaries ofthe private network on a continual basis. For example, the Internetmonitoring platform may map all assets associated with, or relevant to,the private network to establish a boundary. The boundary may includethose public-facing assets corresponding to the core network andsubsidiaries, as well as vendors, supply chain networks,customer-of-customer networks, shared hosts, cloud environments,pseudo-networks, etc. A pseudo-network can include assets designed toappear as though they are relevant to the client. Examples of suchassets include fraudulent certificates, falsified domains, etc. Whilethe assets forming the pseudo-network may not actually be associatedwith the client, they may be considered relevant to the client sincethese assets represent a threat to the private network.

For example, based on the traffic flows of the private network, theInternet monitoring platform may be able to determine whether a clientis communicating with a given Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider (orusing a given piece of software, such as an anti-virus computer program)by seeing whether any outgoing communications have been directed towardthe computer server(s) responsible for providing updates. Similarly, theInternet monitoring platform may catalogue all IP addresses, domains,certificates, devices, services, etc., that are accessible via theInternet and relevant to the client. For example, the Internetmonitoring platform may identify all IP addresses registered to asubsidiary company of the client, all domains registered to a parentcompany of the client, all client-attributable services observed incloud environments (e.g., domains, websites, webservers, certificates,Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and Virtual Network computing (VNC)sessions), etc. If the offerings of a vendor of cloud-based hostingservices are publicly available, the Internet monitoring platform maysimply acquire client data from the cloud environment(s) associated withthe client.

The Internet monitoring platform can then establish a status of theprivate network. The status may be indicative of the risk of anunauthorized access of the private network. In some embodiments, thestatus is updated in real time as the private network experienceschanges. Examples of changes include the introduction of new assets thatform the network boundary, the removal of deprecated assets that nolonger form the network boundary, and any changes to those assets thatform the network boundary. Another example of a change is theassociation of a business relationship category (e.g., core network,subsidiary network, shared hosting, pseudo-network) with an asset. TheInternet monitoring platform may also acquire business information,either in an automated manner or manual manner, about the state of theprivate network. The business information may concern non-publicacquisitions or divestitures, new vendor relationships or switches, newcustomer-of-customer arrangements, or planned changes to subnets orboundary allocations.

In some embodiments, the Internet monitoring platform executes a policyengine (also referred to as a “policy module”) configured to applyappropriate policies based on the boundary of the private network. Forexample, the Internet monitoring platform may apply one or more policiesto initiate control actions, as further described above with respect toFIG. 5. Policies may be predetermined, and policies may be defined byeither the client or the Internet monitoring platform. Policies maygovern, for example, integration efforts, permitted device classes,permitted certificate parameters, permitted compliance frameworks (e.g.,Health insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) orNational Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)), or advancedqueries involving public-facing assets (e.g., by identifying any IPaddresses that ran a web service in the last three months and now run adatabase service). Policies may be derived from a rule-based frameworkaccording to the state of the private network.

In some instances, the application of a policy will prompt the Internetmonitoring platform to deploy a configuration tool designed to remotelyinitiate an appropriate control action. Examples of control actionsinclude:

-   -   Isolation: The configuration tool may isolate an asset from the        rest of the private network by controlling of a tool, isolating        a subset, etc.    -   Reconfiguration: The configuration tool may reconfigure a        network orchestration parameter or a network tool, reboot an        asset (e.g., a virtual machine), force deployment of a software        update/patch, etc. For instance, the configuration tool may        change the settings of a vulnerability scanner or firewall to        account for changes in the boundary of the private network.    -   Kill: The configuration tool may remotely turn off a given        asset, such as a service (e.g., File Transfer Protocol (FTP) or        Microsoft SQL (MSSQL)), a development environment, a cluster or        a container, a virtual machine, or a network gateway.    -   Investigate: The configuration tool may investigate the private        network by examining log data, network performance data, etc. In        some instances, the configuration tool may initiate an        investigation ticket via a security information and event        management (SIEM) system or some other analysis tool.    -   Initiate Communications: The configuration tool may alert an        individual (e.g., a special administrator) associated with the        client through any conceivable communication tool. Additionally        or alternatively, the configuration tool may initiate        communication with a third party, such as a vendor, supply        chain, subsidiary, affiliate, ISP, MSSP, peer, competitor,        industry group, government organization, or another independent        entity.    -   Task Remeasurement: The Internet monitoring platform may verify        whether the configuration tool actually worked. If the        configuration tool did not work as intended, the Internet        monitoring platform may initiate the desired task a second time        and/or notify an individual (e.g., a special administrator)        associated with the client who can perform the task manually.        Open Ports

In some embodiments, an Internet monitoring platform cis configured todiscover the open ports that are publicly accessible on a network (e.g.,a private network associated with a client). FIG. 8 includes a flowdiagram of a process 800 for discovering the open ports on a computernetwork. Initially, the Internet monitoring platform can scan for openports on the edge(s) of a network (step 801). Said another way, theInternet monitoring platform can discover the boundary of the networkbased on which ports are publicly accessible. Scanning may be performedon a continual basis or a periodic basis (e.g., weekly, daily, orhourly). To scan an open port, the Internet monitoring platform may senddata packet(s) in an effort to provoke a response. If the Internetmonitoring platform receives a response after sending data packet(s)toward a port, the Internet monitoring platform can establish that theport is open (e.g., accessible via the Internet).

The Internet monitoring platform can collect responses received fromthese open ports, including any partial responses (step 802), and thenestablish a statistical baseline for open port behavior for the networkbased on the responses (step 803). As noted above, the Internetmonitoring platform may periodically perform steps 801-802 over time.With each new scan of the edge(s) of the network, the Internetmonitoring platform can determine whether the response(s) deviate fromthe established statistical baseline by at least a predetermined amount(step 804). Additionally or alternatively, the Internet monitoringplatform may determine whether the response(s) deviate from a bestpractice policy defined by the client or the Internet monitoringplatform. If the Internet monitoring platform discovers that theresponse(s) deviate from the statistical baseline by at least thepredetermined amount, then the Internet monitoring platform can generatean alert (step 805). The alert may be transmitted to a specialadministrator who is responsible for managing the network.

Alerts

An alert may be generated responsive to discovering that an open portaccessible along the boundary of a private network associated with aclient has experienced a behavior change. A behavior change may bedefined by a deviation from an established network baseline or adeviation from a best practice policy/configuration defined by theclient or the Internet monitoring platform. Examples of behavior changesinclude:

-   -   The opening of a port on an IP address that has not historically        been open;    -   The closing of a port on an IP address that has not historically        been closed;    -   The confluence of at least two ports on an IP address that are        unexpected or deviate from a defined best practice policy;    -   Any partial response or change to a response on any port(s) on        an IP address;    -   Any unexpected response on any port(s) on an IP address; and    -   Any change to the relative statistical baselines of at least two        edges of a network.        Use Cases

Several use cases are provided below for the purpose of illustration.

A. Misconfigured Devices

If a device either has more than one port open or the wrong port open,then the device may have been misconfigured (or remains in an unsafedefault configuration). Qadium, Inc. has observed this happen with aclient, where a device with an unencrypted login was misconfigured andopen on port 443 (i.e., for encrypted HyperText Transfer Protocol(HTTP)) and port 8000. The client was unaware that port 8000 was open,and thus did not detect the unencrypted login. By employing thetechnology described herein, an Internet monitoring platform could havediscovered the vulnerability prior to the unencrypted login.

B. Deviation from Web Policy

A device intended to be connected to a public network (e.g., theInternet) may occasionally have too many alternative ports that are leftopen. Each of these open ports represents a potential vulnerability, andtherefore should be dealt with. A client may, for example, maintain abest practice policy where unencrypted web servers can only operate overport 80 and encrypted web servers can only operate over port 443. Undersuch a policy, an Internet monitoring platform could be programmed togenerate an alert upon discovering a web service open on any additionalports, including ports 80, 443, 8080, 8443, etc.

C. Outlawed Ports

In some cases, a client may have a policy against running services onsome ports. For example, a client may never intend for the portcorresponding to Telnet (e.g., port 23) or the port corresponding tounencrypted FTP (e.g., port 21) to be publicly accessible (e.g., runningon the Internet). By monitoring these ports/services, an Internetmonitoring platform can determine whether any ports/services haveviolated the terms of the policy.

D. Unopen Ports

As further described above with respect to FIG. 8, an Internetmonitoring platform may establish a statistical baseline for a networkbased on the responses received from the open port(s) on the network.From these responses, the Internet monitoring platform can establishwhich port(s) are not typically open along an edge of the network. Ifthe Internet monitoring platform discovers that a port has unexpectedlyopened, it can take appropriate remediation action(s).

Similarly, the Internet monitoring platform may monitor whether batchesof ports have been unexpectedly opened or closed. For instance, theInternet monitoring platform may compare the set of currently open portsto those normally open according to the statistical baseline for thenetwork or a best practice policy defined by the client or the Internetmonitoring platform. Such a comparison may highlight instances ofemployee malfeasance, data exfiltration, or misconfigured services.

E. IP Addresses Abruptly Changing Services or Protocols

Some IP addresses may be allocated (e.g., by the client) for a specificfunction. If the use of one of these IP addresses abruptly changes(e.g., the IP address begins to be used for a different function), theInternet monitoring platform can generate an alert. One example of sucha situation is where a client allocates a range of IP addresses forspecial (e.g., lax) firewall rules, like a staging environment, and thenthe service hosted on these IP addresses abruptly changes (e.g., fromSecure Socket Shell (SSH) to DNS), which may indicate a tunnelingscenario or an exfiltration scenario.

F. Changes in Response Behavior of Different Port-IP Address Pairs

In some embodiments, the Internet monitoring platform is configured tomonitor the response behavior of open ports accessible along the edge ofa network to determine if the responses, whether partial or full,deviate from the statistical baseline for the network. Additionally oralternatively, the Internet monitoring platform may determine whetherthe responses deviate from a policy defined by the client or theInternet monitoring platform. Behavioral changes may be indicative of amisconfiguration that could leak information useful to an unauthorizedentity, such as a hacker.

G. Unexpected Response Behavior of Different Port-IP Address Pairs

The Internet monitoring platform may also examine responses receivedfrom the open ports accessible along the edge of a network to determinewhether any unexpected services are running on unusual ports. Forexample, if the Internet monitoring platform has established thatServices A, B, and C normally run on Ports A, B, and C, respectively,then the Internet monitoring platform may generate an alert if itdiscovers a change has occurred (e.g., Service A is now running on PortB or Port C). Such changes may be indicative of a misconfiguration or aviolation of a best practice policy.

H. Unauthorized Ports in a Country of Interest

In some instances, clients choose to restrict access to ports based ongeographical region. For example, a client may not allow encrypted webtraffic in any regional office located in China. In such a situation,the Internet monitoring platform may notify the client each time an IPaddress geolocated in China becomes open on a port intended forencrypted web traffic.

Processing System

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a processing system900 in which at least some operations described herein can beimplemented. For example, some components of the processing system 900may be hosted on a computing device that includes an Internet monitoringplatform.

The processing system 900 may include one or more central processingunits (“processors”) 902, main memory 906, non-volatile memory 910,network adapter 912 (e.g., network interface), video display 918,input/output devices 920, control device 922 (e.g., keyboard andpointing devices), drive unit 924 including a storage medium 926, andsignal generation device 930 that are communicatively connected to a bus916. The bus 916 is illustrated as an abstraction that represents one ormore physical buses and/or point-to-point connections that are connectedby appropriate bridges, adapters, or controllers. The bus 916,therefore, can include a system bus, a Peripheral Component Interconnect(PCI) bus or PCI-Express bus, a HyperTransport or industry standardarchitecture (ISA) bus, a small computer system interface (SCSI) bus, auniversal serial bus (USB), IIC (I2C) bus, or an Institute of Electricaland Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard 1394 bus (also referred to as“Firewire”).

The processing system 900 may share a similar computer processorarchitecture as that of a desktop computer, tablet computer, personaldigital assistant (PDA), mobile phone, game console, music player,wearable electronic device (e.g., a watch or fitness tracker),network-connected (“smart”) device (e.g., a television or home assistantdevice), virtual/augmented reality systems (e.g., a head-mounteddisplay), or another electronic device capable of executing a set ofinstructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify action(s) to betaken by the processing system 900.

While the main memory 906, non-volatile memory 910, and storage medium926 (also called a “machine-readable medium”) are shown to be a singlemedium, the term “machine-readable medium” and “storage medium” shouldbe taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., acentralized/distributed database and/or associated caches and servers)that store one or more sets of instructions 928. The term“machine-readable medium” and “storage medium” shall also be taken toinclude any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying aset of instructions for execution by the processing system 900.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of thedisclosure may be implemented as part of an operating system or aspecific application, component, program, object, module, or sequence ofinstructions (collectively referred to as “computer programs”). Thecomputer programs typically comprise one or more instructions (e.g.,instructions 904, 908, 928) set at various times in various memory andstorage devices in a computing device. When read and executed by the oneor more processors 902, the instruction(s) cause the processing system900 to perform operations to execute elements involving the variousaspects of the disclosure.

Moreover, while embodiments have been described in the context of fullyfunctioning computing devices, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat the various embodiments are capable of being distributed as aprogram product in a variety of forms. The disclosure applies regardlessof the particular type of machine or computer-readable media used toactually effect the distribution.

Further examples of machine-readable storage media, machine-readablemedia, or computer-readable media include recordable-type media such asvolatile and non-volatile memory devices 910, floppy and other removabledisks, hard disk drives, optical disks (e.g., Compact Disk Read-OnlyMemory (CD-ROMS), Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs)), and transmission-typemedia such as digital and analog communication links.

The network adapter 912 enables the processing system 900 to mediatedata in a network 914 with an entity that is external to the processingsystem 900 through any communication protocol supported by theprocessing system 900 and the external entity. The network adapter 912can include a network adaptor card, a wireless network interface card, arouter, an access point, a wireless router, a switch, a multilayerswitch, a protocol converter, a gateway, a bridge, bridge router, a hub,a digital media receiver, and/or a repeater.

The network adapter 912 may include a firewall that governs and/ormanages permission to access/proxy data in a computer network, andtracks varying levels of trust between different machines and/orapplications. The firewall can be any number of modules having anycombination of hardware and/or software components able to enforce apredetermined set of access rights between a particular set of machinesand applications, machines and machines, and/or applications andapplications (e.g., to regulate the flow of traffic and resource sharingbetween these entities). The firewall may additionally manage and/orhave access to an access control list that details permissions includingthe access and operation rights of an object by an individual, amachine, and/or an application, and the circumstances under which thepermission rights stand.

The techniques introduced here can be implemented by programmablecircuitry (e.g., one or more microprocessors), software and/or firmware,special-purpose hardwired (i.e., non-programmable) circuitry, or acombination of such forms. Special-purpose circuitry can be in the formof one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),programmable logic devices (PLDs), field-programmable gate arrays(FPGAs), etc.

Remarks

The foregoing description of various embodiments of the claimed subjectmatter has been provided for the purposes of illustration anddescription. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the claimedsubject matter to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to one skilled in the art. Embodiments werechosen and described in order to best describe the principles of theinvention and its practical applications, thereby enabling those skilledin the relevant art to understand the claimed subject matter, thevarious embodiments, and the various modifications that are suited tothe particular uses contemplated.

Although the Detailed Description describes certain embodiments and thebest mode contemplated, the technology can be practiced in many ways nomatter how detailed the Detailed Description appears. Embodiments mayvary considerably in their implementation details, while still beingencompassed by the specification. Particular terminology used whendescribing certain features or aspects of various embodiments should notbe taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to berestricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of thetechnology with which that terminology is associated, in general, theterms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit thetechnology to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification,unless those terms are explicitly defined herein. Accordingly, theactual scope of the technology encompasses not only the disclosedembodiments, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementingthe embodiments.

The language used in the specification has been principally selected forreadability and instructional purposes. It may not have been selected todelineate or circumscribe the subject matter. It is therefore intendedthat the scope of the technology be limited not by this DetailedDescription, but rather by any claims that issue on an application basedhereon. Accordingly, the disclosure of various embodiments is intendedto be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the technology asset forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:discovering events that alter a boundary of a private network associatedwith an organization by: establishing a boundary of a private networkassociated with an organization by identifying each public InternetProtocol (IP) address that is presently capable of allowing a devicebelonging to the organization to connect to the Internet; monitoring theestablished boundary of the private network; determining that an eventoccurred that altered the established boundary of the private network;and autonomously addressing a heightened security risk resulting fromthe event on behalf of the organization; wherein said autonomouslyaddressing comprises performing an appropriate remediation action toaddress the heightened security risk resulting from the event; whereinthe event includes addition of a new public IP address that is capableof connecting to the Internet; and wherein the appropriate remediationaction includes reconfiguring a network tool to examine data packetsoriginating from the new public IP address, data packets destined forthe new public IP address, or any combination thereof.
 2. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said establishing theprivate network boundary comprises: receiving, from the organization,input specifying one or more public IP addresses that define theboundary of the private network.
 3. The computer-implemented method ofclaim 1, wherein said establishing the private network boundarycomprises: monitoring traffic traversing the Internet; filtering thetraffic to identify a first batch of data packets originating from theprivate network, a second batch of data packets destined for the privatenetwork, or any combination thereof; and parsing the first batch of datapackets, the second batch of data packets, or any combination thereof toidentify one or more public IP addresses that define the boundary of theprivate network.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, whereinsaid monitoring is performed on a periodic basis.
 5. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the event includes theaddition of a new public IP address that connects to the Internet. 6.The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the event includesremoval of an existing public IP address that was connected to theInternet.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein theevent includes a modification to a communication policy that governs howan existing public IP address communicates over the Internet.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: identifyinga technological category corresponding to the event; and identifying abusiness relationship category corresponding to the event; wherein theappropriate remediation action is based on the technological category,the business relationship category, or any combination thereof.
 9. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said autonomouslyaddressing comprises: generating a notification that specifies acharacteristic of the event; and transmitting the notification to anadministrator associated with the organization.
 10. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium with instructed stored thereon that, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to perform operationscomprising: establishing a boundary of a private network associated withan organization by identifying each public Internet Protocol (IP)address that is presently capable of allowing a device belonging to theorganization to connect to the Internet; scanning each device for eachopen port that is publicly accessible along the boundary of a network,wherein said scanning comprises: transmitting a query designed to elicita response to each known port on the network; collecting responses, ifany, returned in response to the queries; and examining the responses toidentify the open ports that are publicly accessible along the boundaryof the network; establishing, based on said scanning, a statisticalbaseline for open port activity of the network; performing a targetedscan of at least one open port accessible along the boundary of thenetwork; comparing a result of the targeted scan to the statisticalbaseline; determining that the result of the targeted scan deviates fromthe statistical baseline by at least a predetermined amount; andgenerating an alert that specifies the network has experienced a changein the open port activity; wherein the change in the open port activityof the network is indicative of a heightened security risk.
 11. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the networkis a private network associated with an organization.
 12. Thenon-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein saidscanning is performed on a periodic basis.
 13. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the operations furthercomprise: transmitting the alert to an administrator associated with theorganization.
 14. An electronic device comprising: a memory thatincludes instructions for discovering events that alter a boundary of afirst network, wherein the instructions, when executed by a processor,cause the processor to: establish the boundary of the first network byidentifying each Internet Protocol (IP) address on the first networkthat is presently connected to a second network; monitor the boundary ofthe first network; determine that an event occurred that altered theboundary of the first network; autonomously address a heightenedsecurity risk resulting from the event; examine traffic corresponding toone or more IP addresses that define the boundary of the first network,wherein the traffic includes data packets originating from the one ormore IP addresses, data packets destined for the one or more IPaddresses, or any combination thereof; establish, based on theexamination of the traffic, a statistical baseline for the first networkindicative of internetwork activity.
 15. The electronic device of claim14, wherein the first network is a private network associated with anorganization, and wherein the second network is the Internet.
 16. Anelectronic device comprising: a memory that includes instructions fordiscovering events that alter a boundary of a first network, wherein theinstructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:establish the boundary of the first network by identifying each InternetProtocol (IP) address on the first network that is presently connectedto a second network; monitor the boundary of the first network;determine that an event occurred that altered the boundary of he firstnetwork; autonomously address a heightened security risk resulting fromthe event; compare traffic corresponding to the one or more IP addressesthat define the boundary of the first network to a statistical baselineon a periodic basis; and in response to discovering that the trafficdeviates from the statistical baseline by at least a predeterminedamount, generate an alert that specifies the first network hasexperienced a change in internetwork activity.
 17. An electronic devicecomprising: a memory that includes instructions for discovering eventsthat alter a boundary of a first network, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to: establish the boundaryof the first network by identifying each Internet Protocol (IP) addresson the first network that is presently connected to a second network;monitor the boundary of the first network; determine that an eventoccurred that altered the boundary of the first network; autonomouslyaddress a heightened security risk resulting from the event; discoverthat a particular IP address has experienced a behavior change; andgenerate an alert that specifies the first network is experiencing aheightened security risk due to the behavior change; wherein thebehavior change includes: the opening of a port on the particular IPaddress that has not historically been open, the closing of a port onthe particular IP address that has not historically been closed, thedeviation of at least two ports on the particular IP address from apredefined policy, the receipt of a partial response from a port on theparticular IP address, the receipt of an unexpected response from a porton the particular IP address, or any combination thereof.